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Nelson or Old Nelson was
Nelson or Old Nelson was George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
's horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
and one of several horses owned by Washington. He was a chestnut with a white blaze and white feet. The horse was acquired by Washington in 1779 and died in 1790 at about the age of 27, quite old for a horse in that era. As Washington was known for being a skilled horse rider, Nelson was a significant icon for a number of years, being one of Washington's favorite horses.
History
Nelson was foaled in 1763 and was given to Washington in 1778 by Thomas Nelson of Virginia, after whom the horse was then named. Washington stated that Nelson was his most favored horse to use during the Revolutionary War, as he was not easily provoked by gunfire. Washington rode Nelson when acceptingCornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
' surrender at Yorktown. The other horse he rode during the Revolutionary War, and on whom he is more often portrayed, was his gray horse
A gray horse (or grey horse) has a coat color characterized by progressive depigmentation of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike some equine dilution genes and some other genes that lead to depig ...
, Blueskin.
Washington ceased to ride Nelson after the war. Nelson and Blueskin were retired and lived at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
post-war. Washington would visit Nelson's paddock
A paddock is a small enclosure for horses. In the United Kingdom, this term also applies to a field for a general automobile racing competition, particularly Formula 1.
Description
In Canada and the United States of America, a paddock is a small ...
regularly, where it was reported that "the old war-horse would run, neighing, to the fence, proud to be caressed by the great master's hands."
See also
*United States presidential pets
Most United States presidents have kept pets while in office, or pets have been part of their families. Only James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump did not have any presidential pets while in office. However, Johnson did take care ...
*List of historical horses
This list includes actual horses that exist in the historical record. For fictional horses, see: List of fictional horses.
Racehorses
A
* Adios Butler: famous harness racer
* Affirmed: U.S. Triple Crown winner (1978)
* Ajax: 18 consecutive ra ...
References
1790 animal deaths Individual warhorses George Washington Individual animals in the United States Individual male horses United States presidential horses {{Horse-stub